Ancestry Magazine

German Interest Genealogy can be problematic because Germany’s borders have changed frequently. Before 1871, there was no single geographical location known as Germany. Certainly the current borders of Germany do not adequately define the Germany of our German ancestors.

A more logical approach is to focus on those who spoke German. This is especially true for eighteenth century emigration. These Germans are more often referred to as “Palatines.” By focusing on a common language, German-interest genealogy includes the Germans who migrated to Russia, German-speaking people in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, etc. For a good overview of who was a German, refer to chapter 6, “The Geography and History of a German-Speaking People in Europe,” in Research Guide to German-American Genealogy. This 1991 book, published by the Minnesota German Interest Group (now the German Genealogy Society-GGS), P.O. Box 16312, St. Paul, MN 55116, has been supplanted by the 1995 book, German Genealogy: A Guide to Worldwide Sources and Migration Patterns. Both books provide a fine overview.

Germanic Genealogy Society
The Newsletter of the German Genealogy Society is a useful tool. Material published by the society details the many diverse aspects of German genealogy. The Newsletter is published five times per year. The GGS is a branch of the Minnesota Genealogical Society, but you do not have to belong to the MGS to participate in the GGS. Membership in the GGS is $5 per year which includes the newsletter. For more information, send a SASE to Germanic Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 16069, St. Paul, MN 55116. Lutheran German s
If your ancestors were members of Lutheran churches affiliated with the Missouri Synod, several bulletins published by Concordia Historical Institute will provide information about the resources of the institute and how to conduct long-distance research. The Institute serves as an archives for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; however, it is not the sole archive. The Church also operates regional repositories, one of which is the Northern Illinois District Archives at 2301 Wolf Road, Hillside, Illinois. If you find that a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has been closed, write the Institute (SASE), asking which repository holds the records for the closed church. To receive information about the preceding bulletins, send a SASE to the Concordia Historical Institute, 801 De Mun Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105. Resource Series
Since 1988, Scholarly Resources, of Wilmington, Delaware, has published a series of volumes which include extracts of the Port of New York arrival lists for individuals and families leaving Germany. The series is titled Germans in America; more than forty volumes have been issued to date, from 1855 to the 1880s. For example, volume forty-two covers March 1882 to May 1882. The lists are arranged chronologically by each ship’s date of arrival. Many large regional genealogical libraries have complete sets, as does the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. Check with the nearest local library, LDS family history center, or reference librarian for possible interlibrary loan.

The focus of the series is to publish the names and information about individuals and families who left from a location in Germany and arrived only at the Port of New York. I have discovered a Korst family who arrived at New York on a specific ship on a specific date in 1855 but are not listed. The family probably departed from Antwerp, Belgium, not Germany, according to the New York arrival lists. It is likely that they resided in Antwerp before departing for America. Each volume has an every-name alphabetical index. The immigrant must have been recognized by the extractors as coming from Germany. The indexes are also useful for browsing the arrivals at New York of all individuals with surnames of interest. When you find an individual in these volumes, photocopy the entire passenger list. Other passengers may be neighbors or relatives.

Sending Money to Germany
The September 1995 Newsletter of the German Genealogy Society recommended that an economical way to get checks in German marks is to obtain them from Ruesch International, 700 11th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-4507 (telephone 1-800-424-2923). The service charge is $2 per check. Another person indicated that he has used money orders in Deutschmarks issued by the U.S. Postal Service. He applies at his local post office for money orders, which are sent from St. Louis. I have not used either service, but I have written personal checks in U.S. dollars, including about $5 above the amount due (which was less than $100). Also see “What You Should Know About Sending Money Abroad” by Reiner, published in Der Blumenbaum (vol. 10, no. 4, A/M/J 1993), the periodical of the Sacramento German Genealogical Society. Research Tip
The International Genealogical Index (IGI) of the LDS Family History Library is available at LDS family history centers, and at some libraries with genealogical collections. The IGI extracts include the first two given names for Germans. Ninteenth century German church records often include thee or four given names. If you know your ancestor by a third or fourth name, you could miss him or her in the IGI. Unless you are researching many IGI entries, research the entire surname and focus on the date of the event you seek. Different given names may account for problems in locating Germans in c ensus, court, church, and other records. Ronald Otto is an attorney in the Chicago area. He has served on the governing boards of several genelogical societies and is the author of numerous articles on German research.